162 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



every year in the vines that grow on the walls of my house. A 

 pair of these little birds had one year inadvertently placed their 

 nest on a naked bough, perhaps in a shady time, not being aware 

 of the inconvenience that followed. But a hot sunny season 

 coming on before the brood was half fledged, the reflection of the 

 wall became insupportable, and must inevitably have destroyed 

 the tender young, had not affection suggested an expedient, and 

 prompted the parent birds to hover over the nest all the hotter 

 hours, while with wings expanded, and mouths gaping for breath, 

 they screened off the heat from their suffering offspring. 



A farther instance I once saw of notable sagacity in a willow- 

 wren, which had built in a bank in my fields. This bird a friend 

 and myself had observed as she sat in her nest ; but were particu- 

 larly careful not to disturb her, though we saw she eyed us with 

 some degree of jealousy. Some days after as we passed that way 

 we were desirous of remarking how this brood went on ; but no 

 nest could be found, till I happened to take a large bundle of 

 long green moss, as it were, carelessly thrown over the nest in 

 order to dodge the eye of any impertinent intruder. 



A still more remarkable mixture of sagacity and instinct occurred 

 to me one day as my people were pulling off the lining of a hot- 

 bed, in order to add some fresh dung. From out of the side of 

 this bed leaped an animal with great agility that made a most 

 grotesque figure ; nor was it without great difficulty that it could 

 be taken ; when it proved to be a large white-bellied field-mouse 

 with three or four young clinging to her teats by their mouths and 

 feet. It was amazing that the desultory and rapid motions of this 

 dam should not oblige her litter to quit their hold, especially 

 when it appeared that they were so young as to be both naked 

 and blind ! 



To these instances of tender attachment, many more of which 

 might be daily discovered by those that are studious of nature, 

 may be opposed that rage of affection, that monstrous perversion 

 of the o-ropyr), which induces some females of the brute creation 

 to devour their young because their owners have handled them 

 too freely, or removed them from place to place ! Swine, and 

 sometimes the more gentle race of dogs and cats, are guilty of 



